Net mending tool



Dec. 24, 1940. c. B. PRESSOTT NET MENDING TOOL Filed April 7, 1939Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES N ET lvrENnINo'roo1.1V Charlie B.Prescott, OrientaL'N. C. d I Application April 7', 1939, serial No.266,588'

3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to net mending tools, and particularly a.tool of this character combining the features of the ordinary netmending needle, with a knife employed in the net 5 mending operations,and an important object of my invention is to provide a unitary deviceof the character indicated which is relatively inexpensive tomanufacture, is practical,I and slaves considerable time and labor inthe net mending operations.

Other ,importantA objects and advantages of my invention will beapparent from a reading of Kthe following description taken inyconnection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration Ihave set forth a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of the embodiment showingthe blade in dotted lines in operative position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through Figure2 approximately centrally and at one side of the blade and showing the25` blade in a retracted position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View similar to Figure 3 but showing the bladein a partly removed position. I

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally designatesthe tool which is composed of a pair of similar side plates 6 and 1which terminate at their front ends in points 8, 9 and at their oppositeends in fish-tail forms providing notches I0, elongated openings IIbeing formed in the side plates adjacent the points. The points 8 and 9are suiiciently closely spaced to act as a single point inthe netmending portions, and projecting longitudinally in the openings II isthe pointed needle I2 which is fastened as indicated by the numeral I3to the side plates at the inner end of the openings ll. Spacing andsecuring blocks I4, I5, at the ytop and botttom of the openings IIsecure the two side plates 6 and 1 to-1 gether at their point. Anadditional triangular spacing and securing member I6 located adjacentthe notches I0 connects the side members 6 and 'I together and has aslanting surface I 'I whose purpose is to be described. Below andaxially inwardly spaced from the element I6 is another spacing andsecuring element I8, and to the left of this and above the element I8 isthe spacing and securing member I9 which has a cam surface 20 on itsunderside. Both of the side members 6 and 'I are curvedly notched asindicated by the numeral 2| to expose the friction grip or toothedportions 22 on the knife which is generally designated 23. d y

The'knife 23 is of longitudinally elongated form and of a'thickness toslide between the side plates 6 and l, the knife having a locustleaf-shapedhead 24'havingl the cutting edge 25, and the inner j side ofthe head opposite thecutting edge 25 is extended in a gently curvedmanner toward the rightas indicated in Figure 3 and terminates in ayrelatively narrow spring material part 26 which slidably bears againstthe surface 4I1 of the ele-- ment I6, the opposite edge of the part 28also bearing onthe topof the element I8, whereby a combined spring andfriction resistance is present eliminating undueand unwanted shiftingkvof the knife relative to the side `plates 6 and I, while permitting'alimited amount of shifting of the knife by application of the thumb tothe exposed portion 22 of the knife.v The narrow spring portion 2Bterminates in a stop shoulder 28 which is adapted to bear against theaxially inward side of the element I8 so as to arrest retraction of theknife in a right hand direction, but permitting the knife sufficientmovement in that direction to restore the knife to a concealed positionsuch as is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing. The inner edge of theknife is notched as indicated by the numeral 29 to cooperate with thecam surface 20 on the element I9 and to provide a stop engagement of theshoulder 30 dened by the notch with the left hand side of the spacingand securing element I9. 'I'he spacing and connecting element I9 alsoacts to prevent the knife from moving laterally outwardly from betweenthe side plates 6 and 'I.

When it is desired to move the knife 23 from the retracted positionshown in Figure 3, to the operative position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1 in which the cutting edge 25 is exposed beyond the adjacent edgesof the side plates 6 and "I, the thumbof the operator is applied to theroughened portion 22 and the knife pushed in a left hand direction asseen in Figure 3, whereupon the cam portion 29 will ride down along thecam surface 20 of the element I9 and cause the head of the knife to movepartially out from between the side plates 6 and 1, in which positionthe cutting edge 25 may be ap-plied to the work. The combined frictionand tension exerted by the spring part 26 of the knife blade on theelements I6; I8 and I9 hold the blade in the operative position. Theblade may be completely removed for sharpening or replacement by pushingthe same beyond the operative position to, and beyond, the positionillustrated in Figure 3, whereat the blade may be pulled from betweenthe side plates. To replace the blade, the spring part 26 is insertedbetween the side plates and between the elements I9, l5, and i8 andpushed home with the rounded terminal of the part 26 riding along theslanting surface Il of the element I6 followed by the part 26 itself.inasmuch as the frictional and tensional action of the part 26 holds theblade in the desired position all of the fingers of the operators handare free to work the tool as a Whole.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire tolimit the application of the invention thereto, and any change orchanges may be made in the materials and in the structure andarrangement of the parts, within the spirit of my invention and thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed l. A net mending toolcomprising a body having a working point at its forward end, said bodybeing formed with a longitudinal recess opening through a longitudinaledge thereof, a knife mounted substantially entirely within said recesslongitudinally inwardly from said working point, assembling meansmounting said knife for longitudinal movement toward and away from saidworking point, and means operative to project the forward end portion ofsaid knife in a lateral direction beyond said longitudinal edge as theknife is moved forwardly so as to expose the knife for cutting in aposition immediately adjacent to said working point, said longitudinaledge of the body being formed with a out out portion, and

said knife having an operating element exposed by said cut out portion,said means comprising a cam surface within said recess with which aportion of the knife is engageable.

2, A net mending tool comprising a body having a working point at itsforward end, said body being formed with a longitudinal recess openingthrough a longitudinal edge thereof, a knife mounted substantiallyentirely within said longitudinal recess, assembling means mounting saidknife for longitudinal movement toward and away from said working point,cam means within said recess operative to project the forward endportion of said knife in a lateral direction as the knife is. movedtoward said working point so as to expose the knife beyond saidlongitudinal edge for cutting in a position immediately adjacent to saidworking point, said longitudinal edge of the body being formed with acut out portion, and said knife having an operating element exposed bysaid cut out portion, said assembling means comprising laterally spacedelements within said recess and between which portions of said knife areslidably disposed, said knife having a spring part frictionally engagedbetween two of said laterally spaced elements to resist unwantedmovement of the knife relation to said body.

3. A net mending tool comprising a body formed of a pair of elongatedside plates terminating at their forward ends in working points, blocksspacing and connecting said side plates, some of. said blocks beinglaterally spaced with respect to each other, a longitudinally movableknife disposed between said side plates and having a spring partfrictionally slidable between,

two of said laterally spaced blocks whereby unwanted movement of theknife relative to said body is prevented, one of said blocks having acam surface engaged by the laterally inward edge of said knife wherebyforward movement of theL knife produces laterally outward projection ofthe forward end of the knife to a point alongside of said workingpoints.

CHARLIE B. PRESCOTI.

